An airflow generation device which generates an airflow by generating a plasma through a discharge, has been proposed. The airflow generation device is disposed on, for example, a moving body such as a windmill blade (blade) in a fluid apparatus such as a wind power generation system.
A wind power generation system generates power by utilizing wind power energy being renewable energy. In the wind power generation system, when a wind speed and a wind direction suddenly fluctuate, a speed triangle around a windmill blade greatly deviates from a rating point, so that a separated flow sometimes occurs in a wide range. When the wind speed and the wind direction suddenly fluctuate, it is not easy to sufficiently respond to the fluctuations by adjustment of a yaw angle or a pitch angle. As a result of this, in the wind power generation system, there may be cases where it is difficult to keep a power generation output to a stable one, and it is not easy to increase an efficiency. As a measure for this, it has been proposed to use an airflow generation device to generate an airflow at a surface of a windmill blade, to thereby suppress the occurrence of separated flow. In the airflow generation device, a pair of electrodes are provided to a base formed of a dielectric, and the device is disposed on the surface of the windmill blade. Further, the airflow generation device generates an airflow by applying a voltage of about 1 to 10 kV, for example, between the pair of electrodes to generate a plasma.
As described above, by appropriately controlling a flow of fluid in a periphery of a moving body such as a windmill blade by using the airflow generation device, it is possible to realize an efficiency regarding an operation of a fluid apparatus. Further, it is possible to suppress a generation of vibration and noise in the fluid apparatus.
However, in the airflow generation device disposed on the moving body such as the windmill blade, there is a case where a flying object such as a piece of hail or graupel collides with the device, which damages an electrode and causes disconnection. As a result of this, there may be cases where it is not easy for the airflow generation device to effectively generate the airflow, and it becomes difficult to appropriately control the flow in the periphery of the moving body such as the windmill blade. Further, when a thickness of the electrode is increased to prevent the occurrence of disconnection, the electrode becomes difficult to be deformed, so that it becomes sometimes difficult to dispose the airflow generation device.
Therefore, a problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an airflow generation device disposed on a moving body such as a windmill blade in which a conduction state of an electrode can be sufficiently secured, and a wind power generation system.